Moving back to Dubai after 22 years has been an experience! Back then we didn't have the internet or blogs. Now we do I can jot down my thoughts on daily life, things we come up against, things we enjoy, the multi-national society, the laws, the weather...plus other things in general which catch my attention.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Toll roads questions.

The newly announced tollways are, and I quote, "part of wide reaching plans to ease traffic congestion in Dubai."

Oh really.

Phase one will be Sheikh Zayed Road/Garhoud Road in both directions.

That's both directions.

No mention of peak traffic. From Sharjah to Dubai a.m. and back again p.m. Go against the peak flow and the road is far from jammed. Starting at Media City at 8am you'll be in Deira in about 35 minutes. How will the toll ease traffic congestion for traffic going against the flow? There isn't any congestion.

No mention of timings. The assumption must therefore be that it will operate day and night seven days a week.

That's 24/7.

No mention of shutting off the sensors overnight, or at weekends. How will the toll ease traffic congestion for those of us using the roads overnight and at weekends? There isn't any congestion.

It's becoming very obvious that what the 'planners' (pause for hysterical laughter) do is to scour the world for things that other countries have and decide we must have them here too. It's beyond their ability to work out whether it fits in with the master plan, fits in with the other one-offs they've imported, works in this environment, is actually any bloody use whatsoever. They simply must have it so they add it to their increasing catalogue of mistakes.

Just look at what they're doing. The roads are confusingly dangerous in large part because they're a hybrid of US and British systems - dual-carriageways with U-turns plus roundabouts with traffic lights on them. We had to import both systems. As I posted last month, a tram system has been announced. Trams! That'll add more mayhem, confusion and congestion to the roads.

What else don't we have? Oh, I know! A toll system. Let's put one of those in too, that'll ease traffic congestion.

Dubai would work better if The Big Boss issued a decree banning planners.

5 comments:

Speaking of planners - they ought to fire the guy in charge of remarking the lanes.

The most frightening piece of road for me to drive on at the moment is SZR roughly between Interchanges 3 & 5.

They've blocked out the old lane markings and painted new ones.

Only problem is, they haven't blackened out the old ones enough, and it's a confusing mishmash of new and old lines that make it incredibly hard to see which is your lane. Add in a low-lying afternoon sun, and it's chaos!

nzm I was going to post about that. The blacking-out works most of the time - but when the setting sun hits it the blacking-out paint disappears and there's total confusion. I was nearly wiped out because of it yesterday.

duffy, short term to sort out the driving problem we need many more trained police on the roads, we need the vehicles confiscated, dangerous drivers jailed. Education is vital but it's a long term solution and we need the killer drivers off the road now.

In terms of the planning incompetence that greatly adds to the traffic problems, the 'planners' should be fired and replaced with competent, professional planners who have experience of modern road planning.

About Me

We lived in Dubai from 1977 to 1984, visited on a couple of holidays, then moved back again in 2005. We came because we wanted to watch the incredible development as it happened and we moved back to Oz in 2011.
I now blog on Life in Oz and the link is on my last post here.
I welcome comments & debate on the blog, but insults are unnecessary and inappropriate. I will delete any which are libel, racist, obscene, advertising or which are simply to make a point but are completely off-subject. If you want to do that, create your own blog. Oh, and I've decided to add a new category to the delete list because there are too many of them left on blogs - stupid comments.
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